Those California Nights
by Lone Wolfette
Summary: Dick and Babs go to California... need I say more?
1. Chapter 1

California Nights  
by Lauren 

Rated PG  
Disclaimer: I don't own, so don't sue :)  
Canon: Comics 

****************************************************** 

"Hey, Short Pants?" 

Dick got up off the couch, where he'd landed, opting for the shorter walk there than to his bed. He went over to the computer and tapped a few keys. "Hey, gorgeous, what's up?" 

Babs grinned. "I seem to recall hearing you say something about wanting a vacation in California..." 

"You've got my full attention," Dick said, offering his near-patented smile. 

"Good. I was doing some research..." Babs started. 

"Wait a minute," Dick interrupted, "let me guess, vacation by day, work by night?" 

"You've got it, Former Boy Wonder. I found some info on a *huge* drug dealer--it doesn't say where he's based--but he'd been apprehended once in Lucia, California," Babs said, then added, "and the vacation part is that Lucia is a coastal city." 

Dick propped his feet up on the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "Excellent, beach bum by day, ass-kicker by night." 

Babs raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you'd want to bring your own beach bunny with you..." 

"Who?" Dick asked, innocently. 

"Me!" Babs said, glaring at him through the computer. 

Dick laughed. "Only kidding, Babs! What are you going to do about the *Oracle thing*, though?" 

Babs smiled, knowingly. "Already taken care of." 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Barbara linked her laptop to the main console. She began downloading the program that would allow her remote access to her files and those on the Bat Computer. 

She was about to move on to the one task she didn't want to do: telling Batman their plans. She stopped, her fingers hovering over the keys. "I guess you prefer being told face-to-face." She turned to the sliding door. 

Batman stood in the near darkness. "I was doing my own research on the drug dealer case and saw you had viewed the same files about Tony Methier." 

"Of course," Barbara said, not surprised. "I'll still be acting as Oracle, but my messages will be limited to text and if, for some reason, I can't or won't reply, I'll set up an automatic message. Besides, I would like to have some time that atleast *resembles* a vacation." 

"One piece of advice: don't let Dick near a surfboard," Batman offered. 

"Why?" she asked, then saw that, of course, The Bat had already left. She sighed. "You'd think I'd know when he's going to do that by now." 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Babs opened her laptop. 

Dick glanced over. "Babs, we've been on the plane for only ten minutes..." 

"I know," she replied. 

He let out a long, exasperated sigh. 

Babs glared at him. "I'm setting up the automatic message for when I'm not available." 

"Oh," Dick said. 

"Because I've got something more important to do," she added. 

"Like what?" Dick asked. 

She grinned. "Like make sure you don't throw peanuts at the in-flight movie..." 

"It was *Biodome*, Babs!" he argued. 

"Or talk the flight personnel into giving you more of said peanuts," Babs continued. 

Dick crossed his arms over his chest. "I like the peanuts." 

"Or..." Babs started again. 

"Okay! I get the idea. If I'd known I was bringing my *babysitter* instead of my girlfriend, I would've declined on this little trip," Dick said. 

Barbara smiled. "I'll only be the babysitter on the plane. Your girlfriend will return when we get off." 

Dick sighed. "This is going to be a long flight." 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Babs stole a peek at Dick. 'Sleeping like a baby,' she thought. She opened her laptop, typed something quickly, then waited. She received an almost immediate response. 

'I wish your laptop atleast had the video card,' was Black Canary's short message. 

Babs smiled and looked over at Dick again before typing, 'No you don't.' 

'What'd he do?' Dinah IM'd. 

'If I tell you now, there won't be anything left for when we get back,' Babs replied. 

'*sigh* Good point. I'll IM you later. Bye,' Dinah typed. 

'Bye,' Babs typed, then shut down the laptop. She looked up at the screen. The in-flight movie was Biodome. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Several hours later, the plane landed and everyone exited. 

Babs stopped next to a window to look out. 

"I am so stiff," Dick complained, after walking up next to her. He began to stretch. 

She glared at him. 

He stopped stretching. "Well... I am." 

"That's wonderful. *Any*way..." Babs said, then waved him down to her eye level. He did so. "We need some aliases." 

Dick beamed at her. 

"Oh, dear God, you thought of your own. I *hope* it's nothing bat related this time," she said, quietly. 

He scowled. "No! I used that last time. How about a nice surfer name..." 

"Bruce told me not to let you near any surfboards," Babs told him. 

"What?" Dick asked, surprised. "Why not?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know. He pulled his usual disappearing act." 

"Anyway," he said, "how about *Rick Malibu*?" 

Babs nearly burst out laughing, but, for Dick's sake, she did her best to stifle it. She forced an approving smile. 

Dick folded his arms across his chest. "Well, what's yours then?" 

"*Rachel Hampton*," she replied. 

"As in Hampton Beach?" he asked, then grinned. 

"Alright, it isn't that bad," Babs said. 

Dick continued smirking. "Whatever you say." 

She sighed. "Let's just go to the hotel, already." 

"Great! I came up with a new persona, to mat the name! All I have to do is get a surfboard..." he said, happily, beginning to walk away. 

Babs rolled her eyes, then followed him. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

"Dick, you've been in that bathroom for an hour! What are you doing in there?" Babs asked, through the door. 

"Be out in a minute," came the reply. 

She wheeled out onto the terrace and looked over the ocean. She began concentrating on the water and did see him come up behind her. 

"Great view." 

"It sure is..." Babs said, turning around. Her jaw dropped. 

"What?" Dick asked. 

She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Please... tell me you didn't *really* do that to your hair!" 

He pretended to huff. "Well, I'm sorry, but how many *native* surfers have jet black hair, huh?" He grinned. "Besides, it's only dye and I've always wondered what I'd look like with blond hair." He ran a hand through his now lighter-colored hair. 

"It looks... shorter... too," Babs stammered. 

"Just a little shorter. I wanted kind of a spiked look," Dick said, obviously happy with what he'd done. 

She closed her eyes. "Please tell me you didn't do anything *else*." She opened her eyes. 

He turned to look out over the water. "Excellent view," he amended from earlier. 

"What *else*?" Babs asked. 

Dick turned back to her. "Well, I *am* planning on doing some surfing so I... uh... did a little extra shaving." 

This time, Babs laughed out loud. In between peels of laughter she managed to ask, "Do you even *know* how to surf?" 

"Um... well... how hard can it be?" he said. 

She broke out into another fit of laughter. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

'What did he do?' Dinah asked. 

Babs sighed, the typed, 'What?' No *hello*?' 

'SPILL!' 

'Alright, you don't have to yell ;)' Babs replied, then added, 'He's out trying to rent a surfboard. I'm going to have to get some pictures...' 

'Babs!?' 

'Okay, picture Dick... with shorter, spiked hair... dyed blond,' Babs typed. 

Dinah's response took a moment. 'ROTFLMAO!!!' 

Babs smiled. 'That was my reaction.' 

The door opened and Dick came in. "Babs?!" 

"On the terrace," she replied, then typed, 'Gotta go, the surfer dude's back.' 

'IM me the moment the word *cowabunga* leaves his lips,' Dinah typed. 

'Deal. Bye,' Babs typed, then shut down the laptop. 

"Again with the laptop? That's it, you're coming down to the beach with me," Dick said. 

She glared at him. "Well... I *had* to tell Dinah about your little... transformation." 

"You told *her*?! I bet she had a good laugh," he said. 

"I think she did," she said. 

"Great," Dick said, then paused. "Grab a towel and lotion, we're going down to the beach." 

"Okay, I guess I'll have some fun now," Babs said, then grinned. 

  
~~*~~*~~*~~ 

  
Dick sat on the towel next to Babs. 

"Thanks for the *lift*," she said, then winked and added, "*Rick*." 

He grinned. "Hey, you know I *had* to pick up such a beautiful beach bunny... especially considering it was you." 

Babs laughed. "You've got to stop calling me that." 

"Oh, sure," Dick began, "take all my fun away," he paused and winked, "Rachel." 

"So, are you actually going to hit the waves? I'm interested in finding out if you *deserve* your new look," she said. 

"Trying to get rid of me already?" he asked. "Okay where'd you hide the laptop?" He looked around, mockingly, then turned back to her. 

Babs glared at him. "I'm not trying to get rid of you. I just want to see how many girls get jealous of me." She grinned. 

"Oh, well, when you put it *that* way..." Dick said, then jumped up. "Waves, here I come!" He took off the shirt he'd left unbuttoned and ran off to rent a board. 

Babs grinned, then pulled out the laptop. "Ah, the art of diverting your opposition's attention." She watched as Dick turned and ran for the water, with his newly rented board tucked under his arm. She pulled out a camera next, extended the zoom lense and took numerous pictures. "I wonder if I can use these for blackmail purposes..." 

Dick, lying on his stomach on the board, paddled his way out to the surf. He spotted a wave and stood up easily on the board. "No problem," he commented to himself. 

The wave came in under the board and he was off. 

Babs watched, taking even more pictures. "He's still on the board, I'm impressed." 

Another wave joined the one Dick was riding and his center of gravity shifted. Momentarily, he lost his balance, but just as quickly regained it. 

"That was close," he muttered. 

A third wave crashed into the one he was riding and he completely lost his balance. Dick dove willingly into the water. 

Babs put her camera down. "Wow, lasted longer than I thought he would," she said under her breath, while tucking away the laptop. 

A few minutes later, Dick came walking up the beach, board tucked under his arm. 

She greeted him with applause. 

He plopped himself down next to her. "Is the applause for my having stayed on for two waves or for my wonderful dismount?" 

"Both," Babs answered, then smiled. 

Dick spotted the camera. "Planning on blackmailing me?" 

"Maybe," she replied, then gave him a mischievous smirk. 

"Excuse me..." 

Babs and Dick looked up at a young man standing next to where Dick was sitting. 

"I'm a regular on this beach and I don't recall seeing you two before. I just wanted to welcome you. Here for vacation?" the young man said. 

"Yes, we are. I'm Rick and this is my *girlfriend* Rachel," Dick said. 

"Tony. Pleased to meet'cha," he paused. "Say, were you the dude who just rode those two waves?" 

"Yeah, that was me," Dick answered. 

"That was excellent! How long've you been 'boarding?" Tony said. 

Babs stifled a giggle and Dick nearly elbowed her for it. 

"A couple years now," Dick answered. 

Babs coughed and turned away to hide her smile. 

"Cool. Me and some other guys are having a competition this weekend. You wanna be in it?" Tony said. 

Dick looked at Babs, who had since composed herself. She shrugged, then nodded. He turned back to Tony. "I'd love to." 

"Excellent!" Tony said, then pulled out a card. "Just give this number a call and my guys will set you up." He handed Dick the card. "See you later." He began walking away. 

"Bye," Dick called after him, then turned over the card. "Tony Methier." He looked at Babs. "That's our guy." 

"Him?" Babs said. "Wow, some act he's putting on." 

"Maybe it isn't an act," he said. 

"What do you mean?" she asked. 

Dick was about to answer, but changed his mind. "I think we ought to go back to the room before we discuss this anymore." 

"Good idea," Babs said, catching his line of thought. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

"So, do you think this Tony guy has gone straight?" Babs asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She was sitting with her back against the headboard of the bed. 

Dick paced at the foot of the bed. "I don't know. I'd *like* to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm wondering if this surfing competition won't be limited to just surfing." 

"Good point. He has been known to use cover-ups where only his *guys* know what the real deal is. Now, *I'm* wondering if maybe he wants to make you one of his *guys*," Babs said, then added, "Will you stop pacing! You're making me dizzy, you surf nut!" 

"Sorry," Dick said, stopping. "I have a feeling you're right about him looking for me to be a new crony of his." He paused. "Now, about when he greeted us..." 

"How he acted like he knows everyone?" Babs interjected. 

"Exactly. The next question is, *does* he really know everyone and would that mean they're all involved in some way..." Dick trailed off. 

"What's the matter?" she asked. 

"This bust could be huge. I mean, this could take down drug lords on the East Coast, too," he said, an incredulous look forming on his face. 

"So, what's the plan of action?" she asked. 

"First, we get some food," he paused and looked at his watch, "then wait for sun down..." 

Babs rolled her eyes. 

Dick continued, "Then Nightwing checks out the address on that card." 

"And to think it's only our first night," Babs said, mockingly. 

He grinned. "Well, I suppose we could wait a little while before getting dinner..." 

She smiled. "I'm starting to like this new persona." She paused. "Will waiting require Oracle to make her automatic message say she's unavailable?" 

Dick tapped his index finger against his lips, looking like he was in deep thought. "Umm... yes." He grinned again, then jumped on the bed, next to Babs, and pulled her into a long and wonderful kiss. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

"Room service for dinner," Babs huffed, glaring at Dick. 

He shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow we should look into renting a vehicle. Maybe a dune buggy..." 

She shot a look at him as though he was crazy. 

"What?" Dick asked, innocently. 

Babs shook her head in disbelief. "There *is* a restaurant in this hotel, you know." 

"Yeah, I know," he said, through a mouthful. "I know because I was looking through their menu. Apparently, you didn't." He handed her the menu. 

"Let me see here..." Babs said, then looked over the menu. "Uh... I take it back. Room service is fine. Wonderful!" She cringed and put down the menu. 

Dick grinned. "Score one for the surfer dude!" 

Babs nearly burst out laughing. 

"What?" he asked. "What'd I say?" 

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to compose herself. "I'm still trying to get used to your new look." 

"It's only a disguise, Babs. Okay, so the only thing I can do about it is wash out the dye..." Dick began. 

"Or skip the hair gel," Babs interrupted. 

"Or that," he said, then sighed. He paused and slowly began to smile. 

"What?" she asked. 

"I finally got rid of that cowlick!" Dick said, practically beaming. 

"Awe..." Babs said, almost mockingly. 

Dick's smile fell and he crossed his arms over his chest. He glared at her. "You *liked* it? Do you know how many times I'd wanted to do something about it, but couldn't without practically shaving my whole head?" 

"*I* thought it was cute," Babs countered. "Besides, you got a chance *to* practically shave your head." She paused. "Atleast it's better than that ponytail you had for a while." 

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Just keep the shots coming, Babs. Sure, I'll be you punching bag." 

She rolled her eyes. "Serious conversation is totally lost on you, you know that, Dick?" 

He grinned upon hearing her use his actual name. "Yeah, I know. You've only *told* me a million times!" 

Babs sat back in her chair. 

"I didn't mean... Geez," Dick said. "You're right. You'd think that living under Alfred's watchful eye that I'd know how *not* to insert my foot into my mouth." 

She cracked a smile. "Thank you." She paused. "So, when are you going to check up on our friend Tony?" 

"I think as soon as I finish eating. Maybe I can make it a short night," he replied, then paused. "Although, I'd like to better acquaint myself with this city." 

"We *both* could do that tomorrow during the day," Babs suggested. 

Dick smiled. "Good idea." 

  
~~*~~*~~*~~ 


	2. Chapter 2

California Nights - Part 2  
by Lauren 

See part 1 for disclaimer 

*************************************************** 

Babs opened her laptop and opened the IM program. 

'Hey, girl!' 

'Dinah, why are you on every time I log on?' Babs typed. 

'Because I want to know everything that's going on. Is he there?' 

Babs smirked. 'He just left...' 

'Did you get more pictures?' 

'One full roll and it's only been a day,' Babs replied, then added, 'Tomorrow, we're going to give ourselves a tour of the city.' 

'Cool,' came the response. 'What's your room like?' 

'Yes, Dinah, there's only one bed,' Babs smiled. 

'How'd you know I was gonna ask about that?' 

'I know you too well,' Babs typed. 

'Oh. Well, I gotta go... do... something. Later,' 

The IM program notified Babs that Dinah was no longer connected. She decided she'd try to IM Robin. 

'Your dime. What's up? :)' came his response. 

'Not too much,' she typed. 'I've got some pictures I want to show you, but you can't say *anything* about them to Dinah.' 

'Okay.' 

Babs loaded the cartridge. So what if she didn't tell Dinah about the camera being a digital/zoom combo. She attached several files to an email and sent them to Robin. 

'I got them. Gonna take a look. BRB.' 

Babs waited while he checked out the pictures. 

'Babs! Those are blackmail quality! Did Dick *really* try surfing or did you do some picture editing in PhotoShop?' 

'He really did! Did you notice his hair? It's amazing, he actually *looks and acts* like he's been surfing all his life!' Babs typed. 

'He does have the ability to fit in anywhere.' He paused. 'Any more news on Tony Methier?' 

'We found him,' she answered. 

'Good!' Another pause. 'The pics are safe with me. Send more! I gotta go, talk to you later.' 

Babs was notified that Robin was no longer connected so she shut down the laptop and closed it. She smiled. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Nightwing climbed in through a third story window that had been left open. He grinned at the incompetence of Tony and his friends. With his night vision on, he searched the room. It looked like an office, but there was nothing around to prove whose it was, not even a filing cabinet or a nameplate. 

He went to the door, eased it open, and looked out into a hallway. He stepped into it and made his way to the next door. He listened for a moment, then, finding it quiet, eased the door open and went inside. 

There, on the desk, sat a nameplate. It was Tony Methier's "office." 

Nightwing allowed himself a smile. 'Guys who run a surfing competition don't need offices... however, drug lords sometimes use them.' 

He noticed that, again, there were no filing cabinets. He checked out some papers that had been left on the desk, finding nothing but a bunch of forms for the competition. He picked up a few and looked them over. Nothing too suspicious. 

He sighed. This search was going nowhere fast. There was no proof that this "competition" was a cover for drug dealing--where were the drugs? There had to be more than just "offices" in this building. 

Nightwing decided to call it a night and try again the next night. He slipped through another window and was gone into the night. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Babs was sitting out on the terrace, looking at the stars, when Nightwing joined her. 

"Star gazing?" 

She nearly jumped, then laughed. "Why am I not used to that?" 

"Because I didn't actually *mean* to make you jump?" he said. 

Babs handed him a robe, which he accepted and immediately put on. 

"Some of that dye is still in your hair," she commented. 

After removing his mask, Dick turned and glared at her. "I'm considering dying it once more and leaving it alone until we're ready to leave. It's too much trouble spending all that time and then washing it out." 

Babs shook her head. "I can't believe I'm starting to really get used to you as a blond." 

He smiled. "Really?" 

"Yeah," she said. "Did you find anything?" 

"Nothing but a bunch of competition forms," he replied, propping his feet up. "Just have to try again tomorrow. I would've tonight, but..." 

Babs raised an eyebrow. "Just because we're sharing a bed..." 

Dick burst out laughing. 

"What?" she asked. 

"The look on your face... priceless!" he managed to say between fits of laughter. 

Babs narrowed her eyes. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

"Okay, maybe I shouldn't have laughed earlier..." Dick said, trying to get comfortable on a cot Babs found in the closet. 

"It's too late to take it back now. Maybe if you behave from here on out, I'll *think* about allowing you to share the bed with me," Babs said, then shifted herself around on the bed. 

Dick frowned as she turned off the light. She was relishing the silence until... 

"I feel like I'm in JDC again," Dick muttered. 

Babs sat herself up and turned on the light so he could see her glare. 

"Sorry," he said, sinking farther down into the cot. 

She turned off the light again and laid herself back down. 

Dick laid motionless, staring at the ceiling, thinking. He rolled over onto his stomach and reached underneath the cot. He pulled a duffle bag to the front and began a quiet rummage, intent on finding something. He came back up and rolled onto his back again, this time, smiling, with an arm around Elinore. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

The next morning, Barbara woke to a beam of sunlight in her eyes. She stretched, sat up, and a smile crossed her lips. She was looking at Dick, still sound asleep on the cot at the foot of the bed, with an arm around his stuffed elephant. 

Babs reached for her camera and took a few quick pictures. She tucked the camera away again, then moved herself to her chair. She wheeled over to him. Her smile had since changed to an evil grin. 

"Dickie?" she said, quietly. 

He moved slightly. 

Babs almost burst out laughing. "Dickie?" 

Dick shifted restlessly this time. 

"Dickie?" she said, louder this time. 

He moved again, then mumbled, "Few more minutes..." 

This time, Babs leaned over and planted a kiss right on his lips. She pulled away smiling. 

Dick opened his eyes and gave her a half-asleep, half-surprised look. 

She grabbed Elinore and placed the elephant on his chest. "Did you have a good night's sleep, Dickie?" she teased, then made the stuffed animal dance a bit. 

He closed his eyes. "Oh, man... I'm *never* going to hear the end of this." 

"Oh, come on. I think it's cute," Babs said, the petted Elinore. 

Dick frowned. "Just don't tell Dinah, okay?" 

"Okay," she answered, smirking. 

"Babs," he said, trying to coerce her to make a promise. 

"I won't say a thing," Babs said. 

Dick muttered something, then sat up, and stretched. 

She sat back and crossed her arms. 

"What?" he asked. 

Barbara smiled. "You're paranoid." 

"Am not," Dick said. 

"Are to." 

"Am not." 

"Are too!" 

"Am not... hey!?" he protested. "I've got hair to color I don't have time to argue about... what was it?" 

"Paranoia rings a bell," Babs said. 

Dick got up and grabbed some things to take into the bathroom. As he passed her, he said, "Am not!" He entered the bathroom and closed the door, loudly, behind himself for emphasis. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

An hour later, Dick emerged from the bathroom. Babs was sitting on the bed with her back against the headboard, watching TV.  
  
"And I thought *I* spent alot of time in the bathroom," she said, smirking.  
  
Dick frowned as he passed between the bed and the TV. he stopped just after the TV and turned to look at it. "Cartoon Network, Babs?"  
  
"What's wrong with the Cartoon Network?" she asked.  
  
"Well... uh, nothing really, I guess. There's nothing else on, though?" he said.  
  
"Not too much at 6am... "Dickie," Babs replied, then grinned.  
  
"*Why* do you have to keep calling me that?" Dick asked, exasperated. "What happened to Former Boy...?"  
  
"Shh!" she said. "If I use any of those, someone may pick up on them." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, maybe, if whoever's in the next room is holding a glass to the wall," he said.  
  
"Are you going to go sign up for that competition or not?" Babs asked, becoming aggravated.  
  
"It's too early. Actually, I was thinking about going down to the gym," Dick said.  
  
"Good. While you do that, I'm going to catch up on *business*," she said and pulled out the laptop, seemingly from nowhere.  
  
"Just don't share any more *news* with Dinah, okay?" he said, heading towards the door.  
  
"I won't," Babs called after him as he was going through the door. She then opened the laptop and IM'd Dinah.  
  
'Now what?'  
  
'Morning to you, too :P' Babs typed.  
  
'Too early.'  
  
'*razz*' Babs left the IM program, closed the laptop, and smiled.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
Dick entered the gym and looked around. There were a few guys scattered around, otherwise, the place was empty. He began scanning over the equipment.  
  
"Come on! I even offered to share my water with you!"  
  
Dick stopped cold. "No..." He looked over to the guy and girl standing against the far wall. The guy had red hair and the girl looked annoyed and disgusted. Dick knew of only one guy who fit the description of "red-headed, with a tendency to annoy women (and Dick, for that matter)" ...Roy. He shook his head and continued checking out the equipment, hoping that Roy wouldn't notice him.  
  
The girl walked away from Roy, leaving him confused. "Was it something I said?!" he called after her. "Damn... I must be losing my touch or something." He scanned the room finding no other girls, the same guys, plus one guy who apparently snuck in while that girl was dissing him. He decided to go greet the newcomer.  
  
Dick watched as Roy began to move closer. "Shit," he said, under his breath.  
  
"Hey, another early bird!" Roy called out, moving closer.  
  
Dick rolled his eyes at Roy's wonderful choice of words and tried to ignore his friend's big mouth.  
  
Roy came up next to him. "You new? I've been here every morning for the last week, so I know the regulars. You must actually be staying here in the hotel, too..."  
  
Dick tuned him out, concentrating on the odometer of the exercise bike. He had figured he would start with a machine that didn't require much concentration, seeing as how Roy wouldn't leave him alone once he...  
  
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked, suddenly, trying to get a good look at Dick's face.  
  
"Don't think so," Dick said, flatly, while trying to keep Roy from getting a good look at him.  
  
However, Roy was very determined. He clamped the palm of each hand on Dick's face to hold him still and get a good look. He squinted, stared... then suddenly it dawned on him. "Robbie!?"  
  
"Trying to blow my cover, Arrowbreath?" Dick asked, removing Roy's hands from his face.  
  
"No... What the hell are you doing in California?" Roy said.  
  
Dick smirked. "Why are *you* in California?"  
  
"Nuh-uh, I asked you first," Roy said, waving his index finger in Dick's face.  
  
Dick sighed audibly, then caught Roy's wagging finger. "I can't tell you here. I'm staying in room 203..." He let go of his finger.  
  
"I'll be there in an hour," Roy offered, then cocked his head to one side and grinned. "Nice hair."  
  
"Roy..." Dick said, using "The Voice."  
  
Roy put his hands up in defense. "Okay, you can tell me about that later, too." He put his hands down. "I gotta go, Lian's probably turned our room upside-down and inside-out by now." He turned and ran for the door.  
  
Dick leaned forward on the handlebars, mentally exhausted. "Why did he give me only an hour to go warn Babs and recover?" He thought about that for a moment. "Damn... he sees I'm with Babs and I'll *never* hear the end of this." He got off the bike and bolted for the door.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
The door to the room flew open and Dick practically fell in. "Babs!"  
  
She glared at him. "What're you trying to..."  
  
"Roy's here," he stated.  
  
Surprise washed over Babs's face. "Arsenal?"  
  
"And Lian," he added. "Oh, and Roy's going to be here in about forty-five minutes."  
  
"In other words, I make myself scarce or *neither* of us will ever hear the end of this," she said.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~   
  
"Robbie?!" Roy called, pounding on the door  
  
Dick yanked open the door and pulled Roy in. "I told you already, Bowhead, I'm supposed to be incognito. You're not helping matters at all."  
  
"Sorry... So what's with the new look? Lose a bet?" Roy said, then made himself comfortable in a chair.  
  
"I'm tracking a guy named Tony Methier, who's a major drug dealer. Seems he's based here and is covering his operations with a surfing competition. I figured I would get in on the competition and get some much-needed concrete evidence to put him away for good. This is supposed to be my California native, surfer-dude look," Dick explained.  
  
"Ride a wave, yet?" Roy asked.  
  
"Yeah, I did and stayed on when two more waves joined it," Dick answered.  
  
"It's you," Roy said, then added, "I mean, the look itself says surfer, but if you can hang ten, or even hang one, it's no longer a disguise. Wow. Hey, has that girlfriend of yours seen you lookin' this way?"  
  
"Her name is Barbara and, yes, she has and, well, she wasn't too thrilled with it at first, but I think she's gotten used to it," Dick said.  
  
"Cool. "Oh, hey, I'm in room 307. Let me know before you patrol, I'll come with ya." He got up and headed for the door.  
  
"See ya later, Roy," Dick said, avoiding his question.  
  
"Later," Roy said, then stopped before closing the door and added, "*Dick*." He grinned and slammed the door after him.  
  
Dick glared at the door, then let out an exasperated sigh. "Why couldn't I have run into Wally? Why is it always Roy?"  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~  
  
Dick stood in the entrance of the restaurant and looked around.  
  
The maitre d' joined him. He looked Dick up and down. "May I help you... Sir?"  
  
Dick returned the eyeing. "I'm looking for Rachel Hampton."  
  
"*Who,* may I say, is asking?" the maitre d' said, then cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Rick Malibu," Dick answered, then crossed his arms over his chest. He watched the rather snooty maitre d' look over the sheet of paper on his clipboard.  
  
Mr. Snooty then smiled. "Ah, right this way, Sir."  
  
Dick rolled his eyes and followed him to the table. He sat down across from Babs. "Hi, Rache." He glared at the maitre d', who seemed to be waiting to see if she recognized him.  
  
"Hi, Rick!" Babs said, tossing her own glare on Mr. Snooty.  
  
"Do you wish to see a menu?" he asked.  
  
"Water's fine, thanks," Dick replied, then grinned.  
  
The snooty maitre d' turned and left.  
  
"Interesting guy, that Snootface... er, maitre d'," Babs said, then smirked.  
  
"Very," Dick said, then smiled.  
  
"How did the second meeting with Roy go?" she asked.  
  
"Could've gone better. Now, he wants to go patrol with me," he said, quietly, then paused. "Say, is there any possible way that you could find someone else needs him so he'll leave us alone?"  
  
"Way ahead of you... and, no, I can't. Besides, Wally's the only one who can really stand him and he's out of the country for the time being," she said.  
  
"Damn," Dick said, under his breath.  
  
"*Anyway,* where are we actually going to eat?" Babs asked.  
  
"Hmm, well, there has got to be a Denny's around here somewhere," he suggested.  
  
"Shall we?" she said.  
  
"Lets," Dick said, then stood. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 


	3. Chapter 3

California Nights  
by Lauren 

See part 1 for disclaimer. 

*************************************************** 

"I can't believe there's still no answer," Dick said, replacing the receiver to its cradle. 

Babs glared at him. "Genius, they're probably out surfing." She rolled her eyes and supressed a "duh!". 

Dick shook his head. "I hate it when criminals use a perfectly legit idea for illegal purposes..." 

Babs laughed. 

"I didn't mean that to be funny, Babs, besides I wasn't finished," he said. 

Babs continued snickering. 

"What? What is it? Is it about me?" Dick asked. He reached over and tried to look at the laptop's screen. 

"Hey!?" she said, moving it away from him. "None of your business what I'm doing here!" She continued laughing. 

"It *is* my business if it's about me and you didn't answer my questions. Now, lemme see!" Dick said, then reached over Babs trying to grab the laptop. 

"No!" Babs laughed. She held the laptop at arm's length, playing keep-away and wondering why he just didn't get up to grab it. 

"Oh, come on!" he complained. "Was it Dinah? Did she say something about me?" 

"You're becoming quite the Paranoid Wonder, aren't uou?" she commented, smirking. 

Dick stopped reaching for the laptop, placed both hands palm down on the bed, looked right at Barbara... and pouted. 

Babs burst out laughing. 

He quirked an eyebrow, then stood up. "I'm going to find out what this is about, I promise you." 

"Are you sure that's a promise and not a threat?" she asked, grinning. 

Dick sighed. "First Roy shows up to annoy me and now you're talking about me behind my back right in front of my face. Some vacation this is." 

Her expression softened. She put the laptop back on her lap, typed a little, then waited. She smiled, then closed the laptop. She held it out to him. 

"Now, you're giving it to me?" he asked. 

"Will you just put it on the table over there?" Barabara snapped. 

He did as told. "Well?" 

Babs grinned. "Now, come back over here." 

"Huh?" 

"Will you just get back over here, next to me?" she said, then patted her hand on the mattress. 

Dick shrugged and, again, did as told, and sat next to her once more. 

"You know..." Babs started, then placed a hand on Dick's cheek. "I really like this new look of yours." 

"Yeah?" 

She smiled. "Even the stubble's cute." She rubbed her thumb along the unshaven hair on his chin. "It's about time *I* took a vacation and acted like Barbara again." 

"How so?" Dick asked, playing along. 

"This is a good start..." Babs said and drew him closer. 

Just before their lips met, there was a knock at the door. 

"If that's Roy again, *I* want a piece of him," she said. 

Dick smiled. "Take a number. The line forms to the right." He got up, went over to the door, looked through the peep hole, and sighed. "I'm going to rip him a new one." He turned to Barbara. "Be right back." He grabbed the room key and went out into the hall. 

"Hey, Robbie, what took ya?" Roy asked. 

"Hmm, let's see," Dick said, then tapped an index finger to his lips. "Oh, yes, now I remember, I was *trying* to spend some time with my girlfriend, Arrowbreath!" 

"Well, geez, you don't have to get your shorts in a bunch," Roy countered, then let his gaze drop, momentarily. "On second thought..." 

Dick held up his room key just under Roy's nose. "Say it, and I *will* make this fit up your nose, Bowhead." 

Roy put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I won't say it... I guess this means tonight's patrol is out of the question." 

"You got it," Dick said. 

Roy sighed. "Fine... Lian makes for better company, anyway." He turned on his heel and was halfway down the hall in a matter of seconds. Wally would have been proud... of his speed. 

Dick opened the door and went back into the room, closing the door behind him, then put the chain back in place. 

"You threatened him with a key up his nose?" Babs questioned. 

"Yes, I did and I'm proud of myself for not drawing an audience to watch Nightwing, disguised as a surfer dude, kick Arsenal's ass," Dick said, sarcastically. "*Anyway,* maybe now things can get back to their usual semi-normal state." 

"So, just what did he do to warrant such a threat?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

He returned to his spot next to her on the bed. "Let me sleep on the bed tonight and I might just *show* you." He smiled, mischievously. 

"You can get your hopes up, but nothing else... yet," Babs said, then winked. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

"Hey, Tony!" Dick called, walking down the beach. 

Tony Methier turned to greet him. "Rick! Excellent, some of the guys were just getting ready to start some trial runs, you know, get ready for tomorrow." 

"Yeah, I figured I'd get some practice in myself. Also, I'd tried to call..." Dick said. 

"But got no answer? Yeah, we're having a bit of a problem with the phone company," Tony said. "Say, where's your lovely friend?" 

"Rache is doing some sight-seeing," Dick answered. 

"Good, good. Why don't you go pick out a board," Tony said. 

"Okay," Dick said, then headed towards the boards. 'Why did he ask about Babs? What's with the phone company excuse?' He looked over the boards. 'Man, the one I rented yesterday was in better shape than half of these put together.' He continued inspecting the boards and finally found one that looked half-way decent. 

~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Babs watched from the terrace with binoculars as Dick picked up a board, tucked it under his arm, and jogged towards the water. She noted the discussion between Dick and Tony and wished that they'd thought to bring a waterproof bug with them. 

She watched as Dick rode the waves as well as he had the day before, but this time stayed on through the third wave. However, the fourth wave wasn't meant to be and she felt her breathing catch momentarily as he dove into the water, then resurfaced seconds laters. She smiled. 

Dick dragged the board--and himself--out of the water, then walked up the beach. Just before replacing the board, he looked up towards the terrace where Barbara was watching. He set the board back and was immediately joined by Tony. 

"That is some excellent wave riding, there, Rick!" Tony said. 

Dick noted the false enthusiasm in Tony's voice. "Thanks." He nodded towards the surf boards. "You've got some nice boards." 

"The best around!" Tony exclaimed. 

Dick almost had to bite his lip at the comment. "Well, I'm going to go rest up for the competition. I'll see you tomorrow, Tony," Dick said. 

"See ya tomorrow!" Tony said, then waved after Dick. 

Dick walked up the rest of the beach towards the hotel. 'That guy is really getting on my nerves... he's almost as bad as Roy!' He shook his head. Atleast tonight, he knew to check out the surf boards. 

  
~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Dick sat, tapping a pencil on the table next to him, while Babs typed. 

"I hope that isn't Dinah you're chatting with," he said. 

She glared at him over the top of the laptop, then smiled. "Nope, it's the current Boy Wonder." 

Dick picked up another pencil and turned on the radio. "The boy genius figure anything out?" He began drumming the pencils. 

"He's working on it, but nothing substantial," Babs replied. 

He continued drumming with the pencils. 

"*Dick*!" she said, very loudly. 

He stopped and looked at her innocently. "What'd I do?" 

Babs sighed, audibly. "Shouldn't you be trying to piece something together using these clues?" 

"Well, I *was* going to wait until I got back tonight, but if you insist..." Dick said. 

"Yes, I do insist! You're annoying me!" she said. 

"Really?" he asked, a grin forming. 

"Yes!" Babs said, almost laughing. 

Dick's grin turned into a mischievous smile. "Why don't you tell the current bird-boy that you'll IM him later..." 

"Because I have to beat you up?" she finished. "Sure, I'll tell him that." 

"Ba-abs!" he whined. 

She laughed again, then typed something and closed the laptop. 

"So, what'd you tell him?" Dick asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

Babs returned the mischievous grin he'd given her. "Oh, just that you're a whiny, annoying..." 

"Babs!" he said, laughing. 

"I told him I'd IM him later after you get back," she said, then added, "assuming I don't knock you out first." 

"How kind," Dick commented. 

"Aren't I?" Babs said. 

~ ~ ~ 

Nightwing slipped in through an open second story window. _Are these guys *purposely* leaving these windows open for me?_ He turned on his StarLite lenses and looked around the room. 

It turned out to be a storage room for the surfboards. He smirked, remembering the boards he'd looked at earlier, with defects only a trained eye could see. He noticed the labels under each board. 

He grinned upon finding *Rick's* board and pulled it out of the rack. Again, he saw the minor defects and shook his head. 

He pulled out a few other boards, noting the same defects... hairline cracks that could easily split the board in half with the right pressure. 

He moved across the room and found a lone door with "Private" written on a piece of paper taped to it. He tried the knob and it opened. 

Inside, the room was filled with sandwich bags full of white powder. He picked up on of the bags and smiled. "Gotcha." 

And just as quickly and quietly as he had slipped in, he vanished out of the building and into the night. 

~ ~ ~ 

Babs yawned and stretched. 

"Don't tell me you're getting soft from vacation," Dick commented, removing his mask while entering the room. 

"Did you find anything?" she asked, suddenly alert. 

"A whole load of surfboards that look like they came from the reject pile and a whole *shit-load* of cocaine. I have a feeling the winner won't be receiving a trophy," he replied. 

"When do we let the cops know?" Babs asked. 

"All the competitors tomorrow will have reject board except for Tony--and I'll be renting mine--so, I say we let the cops know just before the competition starts. Hopefully, I can out-surf that dofus and be able to nab him more easily... after all, he'd have to give it to me sometime," Dick explained. 

"It sounds too easy," she commented. 

He pulled off the shirt of his costume. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" 

"What if that stash *isn't* what the winner gets?" Babs asked. 

"I'm hoping we won't have to worry about that," Dick said, then sat on the end of the bed. "You didn't IM Dinah after I left, did you?" 

"Why would I do that?" she asked, innocently. 

"Babs..." he said. 

"Okay, maybe I did. Happy?" she said. 

Dick grinned. "Not yet." He crawled up the bed, plopped next to her, and propped himself up with an elbow. "So, can I use the bed tonight?" He gave her a pleading look. 

"Why do you have to give me that look?" Babs complained. "I always fall for it... Okay, you can use the bed!" 

He smiled. "You're the best." 

"You're spoiling me with all this attention. I may have to ask you to move in with me when we go home," she said, then winked. "Of course, dad would most likely try to chase you away." She paused. "Of course, he'd have to have something like a bazooka to do that." 

"It would *take* a bazooka to make me leave," DIck agreed. He reached up, pulled her face down to his, and into a kiss that seemed to last forever. 

Babs pulled away, smiling. "I'm glad I came with you..." She paused, then added, "Short Pants." 

"Kill the mood, why don't ya?" he said, then grinned. 

"Oh, go to sleep," she said, then clicked off the light. 

"Oh, all right," Dick said. 

~ ~ ~ 

Just before sunrise, Babs woke up. She looked over at the sleeping form next to her. _I could really get used to this..._ She paused in her thoughts. _Did I just think that?!_ She shook her head and looked at him again. 

For a change, Dick seemed to be sleeping soundly. He was now on his back with his arms over the sheet. 

Barbara found herself watching him... the rise and fall of his chest. Her focus shifted to his arms and travelled up to his shoulders. She almost frowned when her gaze landed on his scar. 

She looked at his face again... the now two day stubble, the shorter, dyed-blond hair. She had to admit she really liked this look, but at that moment, she would have given alot of things to be able to brush that cowlick from his forehead. She wondered if when his hair grew back to its original length if it would come back. 

She sighed, quietly. 

~ ~ ~ 

Dick gave his reflection a grin. "So, we meet again, huh?" He stuck his comb into the running water and ran it through what was left of his hair. He exited the bathroom as Babs was waking up. 

"Mornin'," he said, cheerfully. 

She rubbed her eyes. "G'mornin'." She stretched. 

"We've got about two hours before the competition..." Dick began. 'And I can't decide what to do." He began pacing. 

Babs quirked an eyebrow. "Eat a light breakfast?" 

He frowned. "I gotta rent a board, practice one more time, alert the cops... decide whether to shave this mess off my chin or not..." 

"Dick!" she said, loudly. 

He stopped pacing immediately and looked at her. 

"What you *should* do is have a little something to eat," Babs admonished. 

"There's that baby-sitter again. I thought I left you on the plane. So, what did you do with my girlfriend?" Dick said, then grinned. 

She glared at him. 

He gulped. "Okay... not in the mood for joking around." He lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'll go get a cereal bar from the vending machine." He began walking towards the door, while humming "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch." 

  
~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Dick walked down the hall. He turned a corner and nearly got run over by a little girl and her father. "Roy!?" he exclaimed, now leaning against the wall. 

"Hey, Robbie!" Roy greeted. 

Lian stopped and turned. "Unca Ni-" 

Roy held an index finger to his lips to shush her. 

"Unca Robbie!" Lian said, gleefully, and ran full force towards Dick, and nearly jumped on him to get him to pick her up. 

"Man, Roy, what're you feeding this kid?" Dick asked, grinning. 

Roy looked at the vending machine. "Every type of snack from this thing." He jerked his thumb at the offending machine. 

"Unca Robbie looks funny," Lian said, smiling. 

Dick looked down at the little girl. "Why, thank you, Lian." He rolled his eyes, then looked at Roy. "I thought you two were on the third floor." 

"We are, but the vending machine up there's empty." Roy answered. 

"How surprising," Dick said. "Well, I've got to get a cereal bar and go back to my room before my girlfriend comes to find me." He handed Lian over to Roy and "attacked" the vending machine himself, getting a Nutrigrain bar, a Snickers Cruncher, and Pop Tarts. 

"Light breakfast, Robbie?" Roy asked. 

"Yeah. I'm gonna be surfing in about two hours so..." Dick said. 

"Hey, Lian, wanna watch Uncle Robbie surf later?" Roy asked his little girl. 

She looked confused at first, then shrugged. "Okay!" She smiled. 

"See ya later, Rob," Roy said, then turned to go. 

Dick watched and, after they turned the corner, he sighed and went back to his room. 

"That's a light breakfast?" Babs asked. 

"Spare me, Babs, please. I just ran into Roy again. This time, he had Lian *with* him, who, by the way, almost blew my cover. I don't know why he doesn't teach her..." Dick ranted. 

"To shut up and eat?" Babs asked. 

Dick tore into the Snickers Cruncher, took a bite and handed the Nutrigrain bar and PopTarts to Babs. 

She eyed the snacks and held up the Pop Tarts. "Saving these for later?" 

"Yup," he said, his mouth full of candy bar. 

Babs shook her head, then mumbled, "So well mannered." 

~ ^v^ ~ ^v^ ~ ^v^ ~ 

Babs sat on the terrace, binoculars in hand. She'd already made the "anonymous" call to the cops about Tony's little contest. 

She watched as ten young men, one by one, hit the surf. Of the ten, Dick was second to last, with Tony being last. 

Dick had indeed rented a board, which was a good thing considering none of the other competitors lasted for more than two waves. This time, he rode five waves. Later, he watched as Tony did the same. 

Dick sighed, then shook his head. "Dammit," he breathed. 

Babs watched as Tony came back to shore and walked over to Dick. She tried to watch Tony to figure out what he was saying, but he turned away. After a few minutes, they shook hands, but Tony initiated it, then motioned for Dick to follow him. 

"Should've brought a waterproof bug," Babs muttered. 

"Well, you, my friend, are a truly gifted surfer. Because of your talent, I have something I'd like to share with you," Tony said, as they left the beach. 

"Like what?" Dick asked. 

Tony smiled. "Now, Rick, that would spoil the surprise!" 

Dick fought the urge to laugh in this guy's face, then punch him out. He knew Babs was watching and had already called the cops. It was just a matter of letting the guy walk right into the "trap." 

Which he did. Tony led Dick to the warehouse in question. 

"Come on inside and I-" Tony began as he opened the door, but was promptly cut off when the door seemed to swing itself open. 

"Freeze!" the officer called out, holding a gun on Tony. 

"Shit," Tony mumbled, then turned tail to run, but he wasn't alone. 

Dick was quickly on Tony's heels. He vaulted over Tony's head, executing a lone summersault and a simple twist to land facing Tony, who stopped in his tracks. 

"What the hell's the meaning of this?" Tony asked, loudly, as the cops approached. 

"Tony Methier," the same officer as before said, "you're under arrest for selling and buying illegal drugs..." 

As the officer continued, Dick used the opportunity to make his exit and go back to the hotel. 

After the officer finished reading Tony his rights, he turned and looked for "Rick." "Dammit, rotten undercover cops." 

"Excuse me?" the officer said. 

Tony looked confused. "You mean that guy, Rick, who just jumped over my head, wasn't a cop?" 

"I've never seen him before, not that it matters. You're the one we've been looking for. Now, it would be best if you come along peacefully..." 

The cops handcuffed Tony and placed him in the back of the squad car, that had been parked in an alley. 

~ ^v^ ~ ^v^ ~ ^v^ ~ 

Dick joined Babs on the terrace. "Looks like we leave for home tomorrow." 

Babs raised an eyebrow. "Home? Don't you mean," she pointed at herself, "Gotham," and then pointed at him, "Blüdhaven?" 

"I mean, I'm hanging around you long enough to (1) get this color out of my hair and (2) to make sure you don't show any of your *multitudes* of pictures to anyone, especially Dinah," Dick said, sitting down next to her. 

"Are you kidding? I'm saving them for blackmailing purposes," Babs said, then smiled. 

Dick gave her a look of mock amusement. 

  
~~*~~*~~*~~ 

"Only midnight and I'm getting ready for bed," Dick complained. 

Babs rolled her eyes. "Not again." 

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not used to it," he replied, then sat down next to her and looked around the room. "I think this is the first hotel room I've ever liked." 

"Maybe it has something to do with who your roommate is," she said, innocently. 

"You think so?" Dick said, then grinned. He leaned over, placed his right hand on her cheek, and pulled her into a kiss. 

Babs responded by placing her right hand on the back of his head. She briefly ran her fingers through what was left of his hair and pulled away. "You know what, I never really got to play with that ponytail you had." She grinned. 

"Awe, Babs, please, one new hairstyle a year is too much for me!" he said. 

She laughed. "I'm sorry, but it's true!" 

Dick frowned. "You're disrupting the mood." 

"Mood? What mood? Where?" Babs asked, then grinned again. 

He sighed. "I give up." He clicked off the light on his side and laid back, pulling the sheet up over him. "'Night, Babs." 

"'Night, Dick," she replied, then clicked off her light and laid back, pulling up her half of the sheet. A grin formed on her face as she allowed her hand to do a bit of travelling. 

Dick was staring up at the ceiling, wondering why she actually called him 'Dick'. He was sure he hadn't done anything wrong *this* time. His thoughts were interrupted when he thought he felt something brush against his leg. "Babs?" he whispered. Receiving no answer, he shrugged it off. 

About a minute passed and he felt it again, this time against his thigh, just below the leg of his shorts. "Babs?" he tried again, but still didn't receive an answer. 

Two more minutes passed and he felt a tickle at his waist. He looked over at Babs. _'I wonder if this hair dye is seeping into my brain...'_ he thought, seeing that she was asleep. 

Dick was just about to fall asleep when, again, he felt the same "tickle", but this time against his *namesake*. He laughed out loud and turned to look at Babara, who was now looking at him, smiling. 

He smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I *really* liked that, but maybe a little warning would help next time." 

There was just enough moonlight coming in the room for Barbara to see him wink at her. "What kind of warning would you like, Sexy Wonder?" 

"That would do it," Dick replied, then kissed her again. 

*** ^v^ *** ^v^ *** 

"I'm going to miss being a surfer dude," Dick said, running a hand through his not-quite-so-blond hair. 

Babs rolled her eyes and closed up her bags. "I think everything's ready to go. You've got yours?" 

He lifted his t-shirt to reveal the Kevlar underneath. "All set." He grinned. 

"Good," she said, smiling. "Everything's gonna be okay until we get on the plane." She shot him a glare. 

"What?" Dick asked. 

"No hassling *anyone* this time, alright?" Babs said. 

"I don't know if I can promise that..." he said. 

She sighed, audibly and irritably. 

*** ^v^ *** ^v^ *** 

Babs connected her headphones into the jack on her laptop. She glanced over at Dick, who, thankfully, had actually fallen asleep before finding out the, yet again, the in-flight movie was "BioDome." 

She downloaded some of her favorites MP3 files that she'd made and eventually fell asleep. 

*** ^v^ *** ^v^ *** 

"Unca Robbie?" 

Dick groaned, still asleep, but aware of the possible intrusion into his unconscious state. 

"Unca Robbie!?" 

He awoke when he suddenly felt about 55 pounds of little girl climb onto his lap, squirm around, almost knee him twice, and was now staring at him. "Lian?" 

"I found you, Unca Robbie!" she said, gleefully. 

"Did your father put you up to this?" Dick asked. 

Lian nodded, happily. 

"And where is your father?" he asked. 

She pointed behind him. 

Dick smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart." He picked her up and stood. He put her down and turned to go down the aisle, but found who he was looking for just two rows back. "Hey, Bowhead, lose something?" He motioned towards Lian. 

Lian ran to her father and jumped on his lap. 

Roy grinned. "Can I help it if she loves her uncle?" 

"Well, no, but could you help this following me around thing? I'm almost thinking Bruce *made* you do this," Dick said, quietly. 

"Are you kidding?" Roy scoffed. "I found out where you were from Dinah." 

Dick slapped a hand to his forehead. "My God, the whole JLA and all of the Titans must already know then," he whispered. He flopped down into the seat next to Roy. 

"And what's so bad about that?" Roy asked. 

"*He* doesn't know about this," Dick said. 

An evil smirk crossed Roy's lips. "This could get interesting." 

"Don't even *think* about it, Arrowbreath," Dick said. 

"Just can't let a guy have a little fun," Roy said. 

"No, I can't, atleast not at my expense," Dick said and stood. "And no more sending Lian after me." He went back to his seat next to Babs. 

Roy turned to Lian. "Good job, sweetie." 

She smiled brightly at his comment. 

Barbara eyed Dick as he sat down with a plop and a sigh. "Maybe you should get restraining orders against Roy." She smiled. 

Dick just looked at her. "Still wouldn't help." He slumped down. "I'm starting to think I need a vacation from my vacation." 

Babs leaned in closer to him. "We'll talk about that later," she said, with a wink. 

Dick smirked. "*Do* tell!" 

*** ^v^ *** ^v^ *** 

Dick dumped his bag on his couch. Babs sent him home after an hour of trying to talk her into not telling anyone about the trip. 

"You're back." 

Dick eyed the shadows, then raised an eyebrow. "You knew I was gone?" He smirked. 

"You stopped a major drug dealer." 

Dick glared into the shadows. "What else do you know?" 

"Barbara went with you." 

He swallowed hard. "And?" 

"She let you near a surfboard." 

He lowered his eyes to the floor. 

"You dyed your hair blond." 

Dick raised his eyes, but not his head. "How. Did. You. Know?" 

"Barbara told Dinah." 

Dick clenched his fists and the figure disappeared from the shadows. He looked over at the window and saw Robin looking in, with a smirk on his face. 

"I thought you knew Dinah can't be trusted with *any* type of secret. The only ones she keeps... well, even *that's* not right. She cannot keep a secret. Period," Robin said. 

Dick walked over to the window. "Anything else I should be aware of?" 

"There's the pictures..." Robin began. 

Dick rolled his eyes and sighed. 

  
The End...? 

  
(Author's Note: I thought up an idea for a sequel but haven't attempted it yet. We shall see!) 

  



End file.
